Harley Davidson Breakout Review

One might argue that Harley Davidson has limited itself by sticking to just cruisers. And in an ever expanding big bike market like ours, this might prove to be costly for the American bike maker. But then again, Harley has been doing a good job of reinventing itself; the Street 750 is a great example. And now, Harley has given the cruiser genre of motorcycles another special.

The Softail Breakout isn't India specific or even as bold a challenge as the Street 750. But having drawn inspiration from drag bikes born in the 50s and 60s, the Breakout offers a unique proposition; at least for the Indian buyer.

Design & Features: rating_4.0_rating

The Harley Breakout has tremendous road presence. The 21 inch front wheel along with the 18 inch rear are one of the biggest we have seen on cruisers; these are more dirt bike like if you please. Not that the big wheels have helped with the bike's ground clearance because at 120mm, it is still pretty low. So one has to be careful while tackling poorly designed speed breakers. The seating is low too; at 660mm, many will find the Breakout's seat height very agreeable. So shorter riders need not be too intimidated by those large wheels.

The Harley Breakout is also being marketed as one with class leading fit and finish, high quality levels and sorted operability. And we can see why. The quality of paint and chrome (there's lots of the latter; but then it's a Harley, so you'd expect that) is top notch and the Breakout does look expensive in the flesh. The 3D Medallion on the tank for instance, or the fact that the wiring harness actually runs over the tank but Harley has made this into a styling feature, are all good ideas and well executed. Having said that, there are a few places where the finish could be improved like around the neck area.

There are other nice touches to the Breakout's design too.  We like the chopped fenders, the flat handlebar, the Gasser wheels and of course, the meaty tyres. The front at 130 section width isn't out of the ordinary, but the 240 section rear (borrowed from the V-Rod) is properly fat and attention grabbing for a cruiser. In fact, the Harley Breakout as a whole is a handsome, shiny and ramp worthy motorcycle.

Engine & Performance: rating_3.5_rating

The Breakout is powered by Harley's air cooled 103 cubic inches twin cam V-twin engine. It displaces 1,690cc and develops a peak torque of 130Nm. So, it is a torquey motorcycle. And you can feel it the moment you start rolling. It pulls from low revs (sometimes even from 2000rpm or lower) as if it were in the meat of its power band; the delivery is linear and without hiccups. The throttle is light too, and the fuelling, predictable.

The engine is mated to a six speed gearbox, which means, the Harley Breakout cruises at triple digit speeds without breaking its slumber. Even the overtakes at these speeds - and we talking 6th gear here - are completely effortless. This smooth motor only stays so at lower revs. Towards the top of its rev range, both the vibration and the sound get coarser. So unless you want to show off the Breakout's drag bike inspiration, it's best to short shift and ride the torque instead of getting into full bore launches. And because our test bike wasn't equipped with the Screaming Eagle performance kit, it didn't sound too purposeful; so we too rode the curve instead of going for the lights repeatedly.

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Ride, Handling & Breaking: rating_3.0_rating

On the road, once you get used to the laid back seating (which shorter riders even with that low seat height might find difficult to cope with given how far the handlebar and foot pegs are from the seat), you will find the Harley Breakout isn't the easiest to turn, slow speed or high. It runs conventional telescopic forks upfront and that's fine.

But the hugely raked out front and that large 21 inch (not to mention the 322kg weight) do the Breakout no favours when it comes to manoeuvrability. At slow speeds while negotiating tight turns, it's quite a handful. Even while riding on a switchback, the Breakout feels a bit of place. It takes effort to initiate a turn and when it's leaned over, its low footpegs make sure you run out of lean even before you properly enter a turn. On a straight road though, the Harley Breakout is lovely. It is vibe free, relaxed, quiet and as stable as they come...at least till about 140-150kmph.

For a bike that manages triple digit speeds with ease, it ought to have good brakes as well. The Harley Davidson Breakout gets a 4-piston, single disc setup on its front wheel and a two piston, single disc (though small) layout at the back. The bite, feel and progression isn't anything to write home about, but the fact that the Breakout comes with ABS as standard, is noteworthy. If nothing else, it dilutes the shortcoming of improper feel at the lever. It's not the most refined or unobtrusive ABS system we have experienced, but it works. And is a big plus.

Fuel Efficiency & Pricing: rating_2.0_rating

The Harley Davidson Breakout comes with an ARAI fuel efficiency rating of 13.8kmpl, which should translate to about 10-11kmpl in the real world for judicious riders. As far as pricing goes, there's just one version available and it comes at an ex-showroom price of a little over Rs 16 lakh. So, the Breakout isn't exactly affordable for many. And it isn't fuel efficient either. What it is then, is indulgence.

Verdict: rating_3.0_rating

The Harley Davidson Breakout is a good looking motorcycle. And that should be the main reason to buy one, in our opinion. Because in every other respect, it's pretty much standard Harley fare; actually it is a standard 103 cubic inches Harley fare - similar performance, similar straight line stability and similar appeal. So, got over Rs 16 lakh to spare? Like Harleys? And of course, want a standout looking, large cruiser? Well... Breakout it is then.